Justice News

72-Year-Old Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Others

TUCSON, Ariz. – This week, Richard Corrie Beals, 72, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zippsto 13 months and one day in prison and a $5,000 fine. Beals was convicted after a jury trial of two counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to kidnap or injure.

The evidence at trial demonstrated that Beals sent multiple threatening and harassing communications, over an extended period of time, to various federal officials and private citizens in Salt Lake City, Utah. The evidence further demonstrated that many of Beals’s threats were directed at members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Upon release from prison, Beals will be on supervised release for three years. The terms of his supervision include no contact with the victims and a “stay-away” order from any Mormon facilities and temples.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Salt Lake City Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.